The present invention relates to an electrical connector for use with notebook personal computers, small type digital appliances and the like, and more particularly to a connector having a construction for preventing shells from being deformed.
In general, a hitherto used electrical connector mainly comprises a housing, a required number of contacts, and shells. The contacts are held and fixed in the housing which has a fitting portion adapted to be fitted with a mating connector. The shells are fixed to the housing so as to cover it.
Japanese Utility Model Application Opened No. H4-92,384/1992 discloses an electrical connector. As can be seen from the “Abstract” of the Japanese Utility Model Application, metal shells are fixed to an insulating block by fitting anchoring projections formed on the insulating block into anchoring apertures formed in fixing tongues provided on the metal shells for the purpose of preventing the metal shells of a receptacle connector from being deformed when a plug connector is fitted into the receptacle connector. To achieve such a purpose, there are provided means for securing the centers of the metal shells 6 with respect to their longitudinal direction, which are inferior in mechanical strength, to the insulating block, or means for avoiding application of forces causing deformation at the centers of the metal shells 6 with respect to their longitudinal direction when fitting the plug connector into the receptacle connector. In more detail, the Utility Model discloses deformation preventing means, such as (1) engagement of anchoring tongues with anchoring steps or shoulders on the side of fitting portion of the connectors, (2) connection of the shells on the side of the fitting portion of the connectors, (3) insertion of fixing inserting tongues into tong receiving apertures on the side of connection portion, and (4) calking.
Depending upon spaces in appliances and applications and specifications or customer's demands, however, the means described above could not be employed. With an electrical connector of lower geometry or miniaturization of height of less than 2 mm, particularly, the construction described above would be impossible.